


Meeting the Monsters (The Steve Redux)

by halfasgoodatanything



Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Love Bites, M/M, Mutual Pining, Oblivious Tony Stark, Pining Steve Rogers, Pining Tony Stark, Steve Roger Feels, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, Tony Stark Feels, Unrequited Love, holy shit im exhuasted i wrote a lot for me, this is for my friend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-10
Updated: 2019-04-10
Packaged: 2020-01-11 04:30:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18422844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/halfasgoodatanything/pseuds/halfasgoodatanything
Summary: THIS IS A REWORKING OF MY FRIENDS PIECE! if you haven't read Meeting The Monsters, by itsallavengers, I emplore you too. its beautiful and interesting and this story from tony's perspective. full disclosure, almost all the dialogue comes from there! as well as the plot. it's a reworking!Steve Rogers is a vampire, in a world that doesn't like anything that isn't human. He thinks the new Baseliner kid at school is going to be just like everyone else, but finds that he's not just different, but everything he wants.





	Meeting the Monsters (The Steve Redux)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [itsallAvengers](https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsallAvengers/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Meeting the Monsters](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15788172) by [itsallAvengers](https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsallAvengers/pseuds/itsallAvengers). 



Steve still remembers the day he met Tony Stark.

The first day he sees Tony, bright and brilliant, is in the advanced math class. 

Everyone was talking about it, the _Tony Stark_ was coming to their high school and Steve- he knows exactly what the Baseliner will be like. Knows he’s not going to look at him, knows he’s going to think nothing o him, just on sight.

It’s the kind of thing he’s expecting, really. At this school it’s all that ever happens. He’s a freak, and he knows it. It’s fine. 

Except, a brown eyed boy walks into the math class, and well. He’s just about the best thing Steve’s ever set eyes on, really. Brown eyes that look like they’re pure liquid amber, nervous smile and long lovely fingers wrapped tightly around his textbooks. He’s just beautiful, and smells- smells fucking _amazing._

Steve tried not to look at him, tries to tear away his gaze away, because of all things, getting stared at by a vampire, even if you were Unhuman, wasn’t the best of things. But the kid was so, so beautiful, smelled like everything he could _want,_ and Steve just couldn’t stop looking. 

Maybe he’d talk to him.

“Class,” Ms. Carter spoke, “This is our new student, Tony Stark.”

And in a second, Steve forced his gaze down to the worksheet. He wasn’t just a Baseliner, but a Baseliner who would want nothing to do with him.

Tony made eye contact with him, once (it was lovely, really, to be the focus of his attention 

He didn’t look again for the rest of class.

* * *

 Steve was eating alone, when he smelled Tony again, and he just wanted it to go _away._ It’s all too alluring, warm and kind, metal and sweet and he _wants,_ has no reason to want. God, Steve wants this guy, and he probably sees him as some animal who eats people alive. He’s going to see his fangs and hide. It’s stupid.

But he smells Tony because Tony _goddamn_ Stark has sat down next to him, looked at his math homework, and told him the answer.

“Thank you,” he says, not looking up. God, Tony’s going to be an asshole. He knows it.

Except, Tony sits next to him, and smiles at him, warm and sweet and oh, that’s lovely, he wants to look at that forever, wants to have that smile be for _him._

“So I’m Tony.” His voice is sweet like a butterscotch disk, and Steve hates himself for thinking it. 

“Okay,” he replies, “I’m Steve. What are you doing right now, Tony?”

Tony doesn’t know he’s a vampire, it hits him. Tony thinks he’s jus a normal guy.

And the things, Steve doesn’t hate being a vampire. He’s proud. But he can’t help but think of a world where he’s not, where Tony sits next to him and they can talk, can fall in love, that he could be someone Tony wants.

They don’t live in that world, though.

“I’m making friends. You seem friendly. Ergo, uh, I thought I’d come sit with you. There’s… I don’t know anyone else here.”

And that… he’s just- he wants friends, wants to be Tony’s friend, but Steve can’t be, Tony doesn’t want him to be. Not really. And when he finds out, he’s going to walk away. 

Even if Steve wasn’t a vampire, Tony’s still rich and famous.

“You’re being serious,” he replies, “I’m also assuming that you, ah, aren’t aware of… what I am?”

Tony asks if he’s a teacher, and Steve smiles, because fuck, that’s endearing, and there’s his fangs. And he’s scared him off.

Tony’s brown eyes flicker for a second, an emotion he can’t identify but isn’t _fear,_ not really.

And then he barrels on, jokes about him not eating him, and Steve- really fucking likes him, really. He makes him smile. Smells a little like pop tarts and metal, and he wants to kiss him.

They joke for about half a second, until some fucking _kid,_ says “New kid’s feeing brave, or he’s just one of those kinky ones that likes to fuck the monsters.”

Tony isn’t going to want him, he fucking knows that, and they just met anyway, but he hates this. Hates that he just was starting to get a _crush,_ and he’d just be some aversion to Tony, something kinky to fuck up about.

“You should go. I don’t hang out with baseliners. And I’m not someone you’d want to be friends with.”

Tony pouts and walks away, and Steve’s known him for half a day, okay. He’s not going to miss him.

* * *

He sees Tony around. He’s infuriatingly lovely and it’s _annoying,_ how much he can smell him, everything he notices about him. His hair is never brushed, and his smile is toothy and bright and when he makes other friends, Steve doesn’tt ant to be jealous, he told him to fuck off anyway.

But then he sees Schmidt, bothering Tony on the way to class.

And.

 Kill him, he’s got a soft spot, okay? Tony’s been kind to him. He wants to help him. And he looked, well, fucking _scared_.

 It really hadn’t taken much, just a simple, “Hey, Tony,” and people had backed off,” and Tony had looked at him in awe, like he was the best. It’s a good look.

 “I suggest you go, Jonah,” he says, and he does.

Then, he asks Tony if he’s okay, and he flinches, and then Steve helped him gather the papers up.

Because fuck it, really. Tony wanted to be friends. He wanted to be friends even if he was Unhuman, even if he was a Vampire, and _fuck it,_ Steve wanted to be friends wit him to.

Just friends.

“If you had any sense, you’d avoid me like everyone else,” and Tony frowns, he’s sick of seeing him frown at Steve, he wants to see him _smile_ at him, “But if you don’t have any sense at all, you know where I sit at lunch.”

Tony’s smiling when he walks away, and it’s amazing. It’s- really, really good.

 

* * *

 

 They sit together every day. Tony’s weird, in a fun way, and quickly the most important person in Steve’s life. It’s not even that he’s pretty, not really. He’s funny and weird and makes him fill out spreadsheets, tries to make everything scientific.

He really, really likes him.

On a Monday, he works up the nerve to ask Tony why he’s not scared. He knows that Tony’s _not,_ that there’s interest (and affection, there’s _affection,_ how did that happen) and Tony says that he’s a _scientist._

(He also blushes, in this conversation. It is lovely.)

 Steve looks at one of Tony’s blueprints, and it’s beauitful- Tony’s an artist in his own way, really, building stuff like this. It’s insane. He’s impressed, and then Tony leans in, to point something out and-

He smells amazing. He smells like that baseline scent of _Tony_ that he’s loved since the moment he stepped into that math class, and now he’s close, his hand brushing his, and it’s a kind of good he’s not allowed to have.

He might be kind of in love with him already.

“Sorry. Personal bubbles, right- I was just gonna show you-“

Steve wants to laugh, really, fucking _really,_ because Tony thinks he’s invaded his space some how. That he doesn’t like it.

“No no, it’s not… you just… uhhh-Just surprised, that’s all, I’ve never had a Baseliner get that close before.” He has though. They’ve never been like _Tony,_ though, never waned to share a part of themselves, never wanted to be kind. “Shock to the system. You… yeah.”

He needs to snap out of this stupid crush. It’s dumb. He’s a Baseliner, he’s going to realize what it entails being friends with him, let alone anything else, and he’s not going to let himself climb this high only to fall all the way back down. He’s just not.

At the end of the hour, Steve says it again, when he notices everyone staring at the. Again.

“You know, if you’re going to keep sitting with me at lunch, you’re only going to ostracize yourself from all the normal kids. They’ll avoid you in the same way they avoid me.”

He doesn’t know why he keeps trying to get Tony to leave. He likes him. 

(He knows. He knows why.)

“Steve, they already avoid me.”

“Yeah, but that’s because you’re new- sitting with me is just going to ruin your chances at making fr-“

“Steve, if they’re seriously going to refuse to associate with me just because I talk to a vampire, then why the fuck would I want them to be my friends?”

Tony makes it so hard to not like him. He makes it so fucking hard not to want him and not to want to hold his hand and not want to be whatever the fuck he needs.

He’s too far gone and needs to get a fucking grip, but Tony- Steve’s swelling with warmth, now. Wants so many things.

 “I mean- like- if you’re just trying to make me fuck off, then that’s alright too, I get that… well, I mean, I don’t, it’s not like you have any other friends either and I’d like to think we get on okay, but I mean, I’ve been homeschooled my whole life, so what the fuck do I know about friendships? I’m sheltered and weird and you can totally tell me to fuck off if you don’t want anything to do with me. Like. Just so you kn-“

Steve laughs. It’s funny how wrong a fucking _genius_ can be.

“I don’t want you to fuck off, Tony,” he says because it’s sweet, how worried he is he’s upsetting Steve. He already likes him. I just… you don’t know me, Tony. I could be a piece of shit. I wouldn’t waste your one shot at making friends on a vampire if I were you.”

But it feels good that Tony wants to, really. It’s - _incredible,_ feeling like Tony’s picked him, like he wants him. It’s too good. Something in him is saying _pick me, Tony,_ and that’s a dangerous thing.

 

* * *

A month in, Tony asks how he smells. 

It’s a joke, really. He’s curious. Tony is always that way, and he knows that Tony doesn’t know much abut vampires.

Things are easy with Tony. He’s funny, and charming, and asks about garlic and mirrors and stupid shit, makes him laugh and appreciates his dry humor.

It’s hard not to picture holding his hand, to picture loving him.

Baseliners and Unhumans don’t date. They just don’t.

How does he say that he smells like metal and sweetness and _attractive_ and tempting?

“You don’t smell bad at all,” He says, rushed and impulsively, “you smell- uh- really good, actually.”

“Well,” Tony said, laughing nervously, and he wants to seem normal, shit, “that’s… good?”

“I don’t mean like- not in the Creepy Vampire way, I’m not saying you smell tempting or- I mean, you kinda do, but I wouldn’t ever… fuck, okay, that sounded bad,” He spat out, and he’s fucking this up, okay, Tony can’t _know_ he likes him, and fucking telling him about how he smells is kind of a sure thing! “I was just… okay, forget I said anything. It was stupid.”

“I thought I just smelt like engine grease and possibly pop-tarts.”

 “You’re not wrong. You- uh- you do smell like that. Metallic. And sort of… sweet? I don’t know, there’s a lot of it- your scent in particular is pretty strong to me. Again, that sounds fucking weird, okay let’s move o-“

 "What do you mean, ‘me in particular’? Do I need to shower more? Shit, that’s embarrassing, I just forget sometimes, I promise I’m not like… unclean, I’ve just been working on DUM-E’s upgrades and it’s been taking up a lot of my-“

“You smell great, Tony, I promise,” Steve tries to really, and it’s too much, really, “you… really great. Yeah.”

For fuck’s sake.

A second later, Tony asks about hunters.

He remembers when someone tried to kill him, and he doesn’t want to think about it. He’s with Tony, but Baseliners hate him, usually. They’ve tried to kill him, and they’ve hurt him and he’s the kind of guy people fucking _attack_ for existing. People think he’s a monster, always have. 

Tony says that he thinks those things are disgusting, and he hates them, and Steve pictures the two of them walking somewhere, laughing and holding hands, and someone fucking _attacking_ them. There’s nothing he could do to prevent that.

“They weren’t hunters, Tony, don’t worry. Just kids. Scared kids who saw me on the street at night and assumed that I wanted to try and kill them. So they just tried to kill me first. Not that they did much. Gave me a nice scar from where one of them cut me, but I’m pretty strong. So… It’s fine, it- it happens.”

Steve looks down, but… 

For a second, he could picture it. The two of them, laughing, it’s easy with Tony. It’s easy to be good and warm with Tony, and he could trick himself into thinking- into feeling-

It doesn’t matter.

Tony’s staring at him. 

Maybe he’s realizing how fucking _stupid_ this is, to be sitting with a freak, maybe he’s scared of the fangs, and he doesn’t want to look up.

Doesn’t want to see his brown eyes look at him like he’s about to leave. Steve doesn’t know how he’s become so goddamn afraid of Tony leaving. He knew he would.

“I… I need to go and get something from art class. I’ll see you ‘round, okay. Sorry for- everything.”

 He doesn’t know when he’ll see him again. If he will. It’s fine.

 

* * *

 

He sees him later that day.

He’s waiting for the bus, and he keeps thinking about it, how stupid it is, how much he wishes he could’ve said something else.

Tony saw him differently. Tony _was_ different. Tony is wonderful and kind and sweet, and he seemed different.

It’s stupid.

But then he sees Tony, and before he has a thought about it, Tony flings himself into his arms.

God. He smells….amazing

“I’m stupid,” Tony said, rushed and _good,_ genuine and warm, “if hanging around with you is stupid, then that’s what I am. Also I don’t think before I speak. That makes me kinda stupid as well.”

He froze for a moment, and hugged back. Tony’s just- small, fits in his arms perfectly, he doesn’t want to let go. He doesn’t.

“You’re not stupid. I… thank you. That means a lot.” He settles on saying.

It’s so hard not to like him, when every time Steve thinks he’s going to fuck him over, he _doesn’t,_ he stays. He can smell the rage, the strength of it. Tony _likes_ him. They’re friends.

After, Tony asks if he did it right, the whole apologizing thing.It’s so endearing, he wants to kiss him so badly he needs to leave to be sure he won’t.

* * *

 Bucky asks him about Tony, a lot.

 “I’m telling you, he’s ridiculous. Someone on the news had talked about Vampires being dangerous and he just wouldn’t shut up about how safe he felt, how if anyone said that to me he’d-“

 “He sounds great.” Nat interrupted, cutting off his ramble. Steve smiled, obviously. Obviously.

 “You like him.” Bucky says, sprawled out on his couch, smug and sweet, Natasha on his lap, and Steve fucking blushes. 

“I don’t,” he says but it’s pointless, a werewolf and a demon, they can tell it without him saying anything. But he _doesn’t_ like Tony. He doesn’t want to date him. It could never happen, a Baseliner and an Unhuman.

  _I’m sure he likes you._

 Natasha’s delicate voice sounds through his voice.

  _He doesn’t._

 She smiles at him, kind and sweet, and then sits up, puts her chin in her hands, and says aloud, “I want to meet him. We all do.”

This isn’t the first time they’ve said so. They want to meet him, and they’d probably lovehim.

 He bites the bullet and calls Tony. 

“Hi, are you free tonight? And if you are, do you want to meet some of my friends? They’d really like to meet you.”

Tony shuffles over the phone.

“You have friends?”

He laughs, because dear god, he’s sweet.

 Tony rambles, and it’s sweet, wow, he needs to stop thinking everything this man does is sweet, it’s not fair-

 “Sorry, sorry, you’re just…you’re just funny, that’s all. But yes. I do actually have some friends. Do you want to meet them?”

Tony agrees, even when he hears they have a werewolf, a shapeshifter, two demons, and an elf. God.

He’s excited for them to meet him. Really, really excited to see him.

 

* * *

  Tony looks really, really cute when he shows up.

He’s dressed well, some jeans and a T-shirt with a chemistry joke, and Steve- he just wants to hug him, okay, he’s real sweet-

Tony’s nervous. Right. Focus on that.

“Tony, breathe,” he said, and he’s trying not to enjoy Tony clinging to his arm, looking for comfort. ““They’re not going to think you’re a prick. They’re going to like you, I promise. They’re super chill.” 

Tony rambles, and Steve assures him, and he places his hand on the small of Tony’s back (it’s too much to take, Steve, you’re _showing_ ). 

Somehow, within 30 seconds of coming in, Tony’s been given alcohol he can’t handle, Unhuman booze, and this is a _terrible_ idea, okay, Tony’s already small and he doesn’t need to get wasted-

“You worry too much, Steven!” Bucky said, “he’ll be fine!” 

Tony drinks it anyway,. Alright, that’s fine, Bucky seems to like him, so all is well. Nat reads Tony’s mind, and Steve has to reprimand her, and Peggy and Sharon show off their powers, just a little, and- and- 

The people he love already like Tony. Peggy is showing off her electric shock, Tony’s big eyes are batting at Nat’s red ones, and Bucky seems to like him. It fills him with a lot of pride, that the people he loves like each other.

Then Thor comes in the room.

Tony’s looking at Thor, big brown eyes wide and pretty mouth falling slack, attraction written on his face, attractive in a way that’s almost sinful, and his heart drops to his shoes. Thor’s magic is strong, and it makes one _extremely_ attractive at first meeting. 

He rarely wishes that he had that power, but making Tony gaze at him like that- that’d sure be something. 

He knows Tony doesn’t want him back. He knows that. Looking at Tony giving Thor that _look,_ though. He wants to punch the magic _right_ off him.

It passes, and Thor introduces himself.

“Hello, my name is Thor,” he said, “I am an elf! It is wonderful to meet you- Steve has told us many stories.”

Steve had. A fuck ton, really. He never could seem to stop talking about Tony, once he got started.

“I thought elves were all, like, small and stuff.”

Steve smiled to himself. Vampires beat elves _any_ day. Tony thought vampires were _cool._

“No, that is a misconception that many have. Some are small, but others are like me. Also, my mother was a land spirit, so I am somewhat of a hybrid. 

Tony starts getting that look again, and for fucks sake, Thor _knows_ how he feels, it’s not fair. If he’s going to do that, he’s not going to do it in front of Steve.

“Thor, cut it out.” He snaps.

His friends tease him about it, and Steve thinks maybe Tony already _knows_ he likes him. Maybe. If he’s not picking up on it now.

 

* * *

 

Tony was so lovely. So so so lovely. Had he mentioned that? Because he was. Beautiful, kind, sweet, god he was _gorgeous,_ everything Steve wanted- 

_THINK QUIETER._

Nat’s voice sounds in his head, and he laughs around, turning to her and thinks back:

_NO._

She smiles, when they watch the movie. Tony settles next to him, and he can feel his surprise at how well this is going.

 

* * *

 Through the night, he gets drunker. Tony makes him feel at ease, makes him feel _good,_ the teasing, the calling his name just to say _hi,_ the goofy smile that gives Steve all kinds of ideas.

He goes to the kitchen to grab another drink, and when he comes back, he sees Thor and Tony.

Thor and Tony. 

Kissing.

Tony, who made him so fucking happy, who was beautiful, and kind, and everything he wanted, his first thought in the morning, the best thing in the world.

Tony, who smelled like engine grease and happiness and pop tarts.

Tony, who was kissing Thor

Shit,” he said, looking down, trying to catch his breath, trying tot understand himself, “sorry, sorry, I’ll just… I’ll go get a dishcloth and- yeah.”

In the kitchen, he tried to take deep breaths, tried to think it was _okay,_ that he’s alright, that it’s okay that Tony doesn’t love him even though he loves him, so, so much, it’s okay that he might be with _Thor,_ that he’s okay with that, just _breathe,_ Steve.

Tony walked in. He could smell him.

“Hey,” Tony says, and his voice is so lovely. It’s music. He’s never wanted to not hear it before now.

“Hi, Tony,” he tried to speak, shit, shit “I’m just gonna sort out the mess, and then I’ll talk to you- although now I’m thinking about it, I’m actually kinda tired, so I might bounce-“

Then, Tony got up close, so close, smells wonderful and is so close.

“Steve?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m gonna kiss you now,”

Tony kissed him.

It was the best kissed he ever had, the sensation of it overloading his senses, bright, perfect, stars- everything was wonderful, like there wasn’t another way to be a person. The whole firework, butterflies, I-have-wanted-you-from-the-first moment kiss moment.

He just kissed Thor, though. So Steve pulled back.

“So you just going ‘round kissin’ all the people in the room or something?”

“Okay, so this is going to sound completely stupid, but he was trying to show me that you liked me,” Tony says, and he wants to kiss him again “ ‘cause you got all sad and stuff after, and that’s kinda when I realized that you didn’t- uh- you didn’t like me kissing other people. And I thought, huh, why’s that? And then… here I am.” 

Tony wanted to kiss him. Wanted him to kiss him.

He does it again, just for a second, so he can know what it feels like.

“Bucky gave you the Unhuman booze, didn’t he? 

“Three sips. Three! That’s nothing.”

“It is when you’re a Baseliner. You must be fucking wasted right now. 

But that doesn’t really stand well when he tries to walk, and Steve laughs, because he’s in love with this man, he is, really, really is.

“Tony,” Steve says, and he’s nervous to ask, he hates it, “why did you kiss me? 

Maybe he’s just wanting to try something.

“Uh, because I like you? And kissing you has been something that I have thought about at length since like, the first time I looked at you? 

So it’s not just… curiosity?” Because he hates the idea of that. Because kissing Tony is the best thing he’s ever felt, he couldn’t do it just for the goddamn experience, “You know- ‘I want to kiss a Monster and see what happens’ sorta thing? Because I don’t think I could- I wouldn’t be able to do that, Tony, I don’t want to just-“

He wants everything, every little bit of Tony he cares to give. More than a kiss, more than anything.

“Hey, whoah, no,” Tony looked at him like he’s got two heads, and he loves that about Tony, how ridiculous he finds the idea of someone not liking him, “why would you think that? No, Steve. I like you because you’re funny and kind and selfless and sweet and you actually, for some strange reason, seem to like me too. It’s not just… that. Never. 

Tony wants him. He never planned for this. This is Anthony Edward Stark, beautiful and kind and brilliant and built a _robot_ and- 

He sends Tony to bed, because he can’t be sure he wants this, know it’s too big of a decision to make.

In the morning, Steve gets greeted by a Tony who wants to date him, and he’s so, so lucky.

He doesn’t even mind he has to brush his teeth before he gets to kiss him again.

**Author's Note:**

> THIS TOOK SO LONG IDK HOW GEE DOES IT ANYWAY IF YOU;RE READING THIS GEE I WOULD DIE FOR YOU!!!!!!!!
> 
> leave a comment!


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